


That's What Friends Are For

by hilandmum



Category: Covert Affairs
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-02
Updated: 2012-01-02
Packaged: 2017-10-28 17:04:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/310093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hilandmum/pseuds/hilandmum
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danielle's been accused of a crime and Annie's out of pocket, so what can Auggie do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's What Friends Are For

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mitchy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mitchy/gifts).



> A treat for Mitchy who wanted a story about Auggie and Annie's friendship, preferably from Auggie's point of 'view'.

I was at my desk when my earpiece buzzed, indicating an incoming call, the ringtone signaling that it was for Annie's line. “Smithsonian, Annie Walker's office, this is Auggie.”

“Thank God!” Danielle's frantic voice came to me. “Auggie, I can't reach my sister and I have to speak to her immediately. Can I leave a number so she can call me?”

“Calm down, Danielle. What seems to be the problem?” I kept my voice as steady as possible.

“It's Michael. My husband.”

“Yes, I know that's your husband's name, although I've never met him.”

“Well, I guess you never will,” she said cryptically. “Auggie, I really need to talk to Annie.”

I heard voices in the background, several conversations if I wasn't mistaken. “Danielle, where are you?”

“I'm at the police station on L Street, and I'm afraid this is my one call.”

That's when I first knew the situation was worse than I thought at first. “Hold tight. I'll be over there within the next half hour.” I knew I'd have to duck out or come up with an excuse that Joan would buy.

“Can't you find Annie and send her?” Then realization seemed to come to Danielle. “She's out of the country, isn't she?”

“She's away on Smithsonian business.” I had to use the usual line. Who knew who might be listening in at Danielle's end.

“Right. And you can't tell me where. That's OK. But what am I going to do?”

“What happened? Tell me everything you know.”

“Michael moved out last week. I don't know whether Annie told you but...anyway, they called yesterday from his office to ask whether I knew where he was. He hadn't been in for two or three days and no one had heard from him. He'd disappeared before, kinda like Annie does.” Reciting all that seemed to steady her.

“And your husband doesn't work here, so he doesn't have her reasons.”

“Didn't. Somehow this time was different.They found his body this morning, and came to the house to arrest me. They think I did it. Thank goodness the girls were in school.” Suddenly she exclaimed, “The girls! There's no one to pick them up at school!”

“I'll take care of that, and I'll be right there!” I decided. “Hang tight.”

But before I could leave, another call came in. “Annie Walker, I was just thinking of you.”

“Auggie, the Serbian police have Stefan Plotnick.”

“So now the Russian mafia will have their work cut out for them if they want to get back at him for double-crossing them, and your work there is done.”

“Uh, there's a problem.”

“Why did I know you were going to say that.” I smiled. There was always a complication with Annie Walker.

“My papers were destroyed, along with my ticket home. Auggie, I'm going to need new documents to get out of Serbia.”

“They'll be coming your way within the hour. Just go to the drop where you picked up the gun yesterday.”

“The thing is, I'm not in Belgrade any more.”

“Where are you?” My mind was already sifting through other possibilities.”

“Sambor,” she told him. “In the north.”

“Right. Where exactly in Sambor? What do you see?”

“I'm...I'm near the railway station,” she replied. “Does that help?”

“Yes. There's a shop just inside the station, a newstand that sells papers, magazines and candy. We'll get the papers to Pavel, the owner.”

“Thanks, Auggie. You're the best!” And she was gone.

I hadn't had a chance to tell her about Danielle. Maybe it was better that way. I set the wheels in motion for Annie's papers, took a last sip of my cold coffee, unfolded my cane, and left for the police station.

I was immediately assailed by the noise and smells when I walked through the door, worse than some of the hellholes I'd been to in Iraq, dozens of voices and a mixture of sweat, fear and anger. Navigating my way through the precinct to someone who could direct me to Danielle proved more difficult than I'd expected.

“Can I help you?” a voice finally asked.

“I'm looking for Danielle Brooks.” I seemed to be standing in front of a high desk, wood from the feel of it.

“Are you her lawyer?”

“Does she really need one?”

“She's accused of murder. Whadd'ya think?”

“Where is she?” I asked, pulling out my phone to call a friend.

Someone led me to the holding cell where Danielle was being kept, a cell crowded with female voices and the odor of two many conflicting perfumes.

“Auggie, you came!”

“I said I would. I just called a lawyer for you, my friend Albert Carver. He'll be here later to see whether he can get you released. Tell me more about what happened.”

“They told me they found Michael's car with him dead in the trunk,” she replied. “They think I did it.” She sounded outraged. I wondered where she was hiding her grief over his death. He was her husband after all.

“And the only way we can prove you didn't kill him is to find out who did.”

“What about Annie? Have you spoken to her?”

“She'll be home by tomorrow morning.”

“What about my girls?” Danielle asked, the concern in her voice more about them than about herself.

“I can get them from school and stay with them tonight, if you're not released by then. I just need a note from you, giving me permission to take them from school.”

“You won't tell them where I am or about their father will you?” she pleaded.

“Of course not.” I didn't hesitate.

“They each have a key to the house. And there's some food in the refrigerator and freezer for dinner.” Her mind was now in Mom-mode.

“We'll manage.”

“Thank you, Auggie. You really are the best.”

“Seems to me I've heard that somewhere else today.”

 

CACACACACACA

“Danielle, I'm home!” Annie sang out, opening the door to the house. I heard her heels clatter as she walked into the kitchen where I sat with her two nieces, eating scrambled eggs and toast. “Auggie, what are you doing here? And where's my sister?”

It was Katia who answered. “Mom had to go away. Like you and Dad do.”

I tilted my head toward her voice to indicate that I'd explain later, when the girls weren't in the room.

Annie got the message. “Is there any more of that? I'm starving.”

“I'll make some more.” I began to stand.

“I can get it.”

By the time she sat down with her own plate of eggs, the girls had finished their breakfast. “Go get dressed,” Annie told them.

Once they were gone, Annie stood and got herself a mug of coffee and poured more into mine. “So what's going on?”

I needed to be blunt. “Danielle was arrested for murdering Michael.”

“What? Did you know about this when I spoke to you last night? Why didn't you tell me?” She had to be scowling.

“And what would you have done? You were on your way home, and everything was under control here.”

“Except my sister is in jail.”

I heard Annie's fork hit the plate, and knew I had to calm her. “I had my friend, Al, go to see her last night. He says they have no real evidence against her. He thinks he can get her out on bail.”

“Al, the lawyer? But she's still in jail.”

“These things work slowly, and it's Saturday.”

“Auggie, there has to be something more we can do! The police must have stopped looking for whoever really did this, but we don't have to.”

I nodding in agreement. “If you'll stay with the girls, I can go into the office, tap my sources and see what I can find out.”

“What do we know so far?” She was breathing slower and her voice was calmer.

“They found Michael's car a block away from here, with him in the trunk, shot in the face and chest.”

“Shot? Danielle doesn't have a gun. I don't think she even knows how to shoot one! How could they think she did it?”

“They haven't located the weapon yet.”

We both heard the door open and Annie gasped, “Michael! You're supposed to be dead!”

“I know you and Danielle are angry with me, but I can assure you, I'm very much alive,” he said. “Who are you?” He didn't try to hide the hostility in his voice.

“Auggie's a friend of mine,” Annie explained. “From work.”

“Where's Danielle?”

“She's been arrested for killing you,” I replied. I hadn't realized that the two girls had returned.

“Arrested? Mom was arrested? Why didn't you tell us?” Chloe demanded.

“We didn't want to worry you,” Annie told them. Still, the girl started to sob.

“Dad? What are you doing here?” Her sister asked. It was a good question.

“I came to talk to your mother. She hasn't been answering my calls.”

“Do you blame her?” Annie asked. “We should take Michael down to the police station. They can't hold Danielle if he's alive.”

“Except we still don't know who was in the trunk of the car,” I pointed out.

“C'mon, girls. Since it's Saturday and there's no school, I'll take you next door to Mrs. Kelly's and we'll go get your mother,” Annie said.

“Will she be able to come home?” Katia asked.

“Yes. I'm sure she will.”

CACACACACACA

Annie strode through the crowds in the police station, my hand on her shoulder and Michael bringing up the rear. When she reached the high desk I'd gone to the day before, she stated, “We're here to see Danielle Brooks.”

“Popular lady,” the man said in a very deep voice. It was a different one from the last time. “Her lawyer's in with her now.”

“Then we'd like to see the officer in charge of the case,” Annie went on.

“That'll be Halloran.” He scrapped back his chair. “Hey, Halloran. These folks want to talk to you about the Brooks case.”

Annie turned and began to walk, then stopped. “You're Halloran? I think there's been a mistake. The man in the trunk of Michael Brooks car isn't Michael.”

“Oh? And how can you prove that?” A high squeaky voice asked. Halloran was a woman.

“Because I'm Michael Brooks. Here, I can prove it.”

There was a pause. “OK, so you're a Michael Brooks, but how do I know you're the one who owns the car and is married to Danielle Brooks? You don't look like the deceased.”

“Can we see him?” Annie asked. “Just out of curiosity. Maybe Michael knows who he is.”

There was a sharp intake of breath from Michael's direction. “Yeah. If it'll get my wife's charges dismissed.”

“And who are the rest of you?” Halloran asked.

“I'm Annie Walker, Danielle's sister, and this is Auggie Anderson. He's a friend of mine.” She must have shown the officer some sort of ID because the next thing I knew we were being led to an elevator and down to the morgue.

The temperature down there was almost twenty degrees colder. I heard the whoosh of the exhaust fans and than the sound of doors opening automatically in front of us and then closing after we were through. Our footsteps sounded unnaturally loud.

Then there was a whoosh as a drawer was opened. I'd have to ask Annie later about Michael's expression when he first saw the corpse. The smell of preservative and the faint residual metallic scent brought back painful memories.

“I've never seen him before,” Michael stated immediately.

“It was worth a shot,” Annie said, but there was something in her tone that indicated to me that she knew who the victim was.

“Seen enough?” Halloran asked, and we returned the way we came, then detoured to the room where Danielle and Al were talking quietly.

“Michael! You're supposed to be dead!” Danielle exclaimed. But she followed it up with what was even more important to her. “Where are the girls?”

“I left them with Mrs. Kelly,” Annie said.

“You're Michael Brooks?” Al asked.

Danielle and Annie simultaneously said, “Yes he is.”

“I guess that means my client is free to go.”

“She still could have killed the guy in the trunk,” Halloran insisted. “Her fingerprints were on the knife that was found in his hand.”

“That's where that grapefruit knife went!” Danielle said. She's almost as amazing as her sister.

“Look, I hope you find whoever killed him, but it wasn't Danielle,” I said. “Can we take her home now?”

“Don't leave town,” Halloran said. “None of you.”

Guess they didn't teach people about double negatives at the academy.

As we left the precinct, I felt a hand in mine. “Auggie, this is an interesting case and one of my favorite clients ever. Let me know how it turns out,” Al said and walked away.

Danielle and Michael were already deep into an argument, so I took the opportunity to grab Annie's arm and ask, “Who was the victim, Walker?”

“Tomas Plotnick,” she said.

“Stefan's brother? Could have been Russian mafia, then, but why stuff the body in Michael Brooks car?”

“Why indeed? What was he doing with Danielle's grapefruit knife? And what made the police think he was Michael?”

“Let's get Danielle home and then we can start to look into it.”

“You're not going to let the cops handle it?”

“I can hear you grinning in agreement,” I told her.

“They involved my sister and her husband in this. I'm not about to let it go.”

We'd caught up with them just as we reached the parking lot. Street traffic sounds filled the air. I opened the passenger side door and slipped in. Let Danielle and Michael work out their differences in the back seat. I was sure that Danielle's anger was partially due to shock. Who knows what Michael was thinking. I strapped myself in and braced for Annie's driving. The woman loves speed.

Before we knew it, we were back at the house in Georgetown. “I need a shower!” Danielle said. “Annie, can you go get the girls?”

“I'll call and let them know you're home, but I want to talk to Michael first,” Annie said.

I had questions for him, too, but I let her go first.

“Where have you been the last few days?” she asked.

“At work,” he said.

“They called Danielle to find out where you were,” I pointed out. “So where were you really?”

He hesitated, finally saying, “I was interviewing for another job.”

“So why didn't you take a personal day or something?” Annie said.

“I didn't want them to know.”

It sounded pretty lame to me. “So did you get it?” It was my turn again.

“Huh? Oh, the job. Well, no.”

“And the car,” Annie began her next salvo. “Why was it parked a block from the house?”

“I...that is...”

“When did you use it last?” Time for me to speed up the interrogation.

“I...” he sputtered.

“Don't you remember?” Annie asked.

“Well, I think it was Wednesday. Yeah, Wednesday.” He didn't sound as certain as he pretended to be.

“Where did you go?” I asked.

There was no answer. He was probably trying to remember what he'd said and trying to avoid contradicting his lies.

“And where did you leave it?”

I heard a scuffle, and then something or someone fell.

“Walker, speak to me. What's happening?”

“My sister has my husband pinned to the floor,” Danielle said with some amount of glee. I hadn't realized she was still there.

“He tried to run. We couldn't have that, now, could we?” Annie said. “Auggie, I think you'd better call Officer Halloran and tell her that Michael has some information about the body in his trunk.”

“Will do,” I said, pulling out my phone. I'd added the cop's contact information before we'd left the precinct.

“Maybe I'd better go for the girls,” Danielle said. “I'll bring them back after their father is gone.”

“Danielle...” Michael whined.

“Whatever you say now isn't going to help your case – with me or with the police,” Danielle said, trying for stern but sounding more pissed off than ever.

Halloran promised to come for Michael immediately, but when she arrived, she wasn't alone.

“I hear you have someone who may be able to answer some questions,” a familiar voice said. Neither Annie nor I could acknowledge that we knew Rossabi, but knowing that the FBI was now involved in the case put a new slant on things. “We'd like a few words with you, Mr. Brooks,” he said.

“I didn't do anything!” Michael insisted.

“We'll see about that,” Rossabi replied.

Once they were gone, Annie asked, “Do you think Michael has been working for the Russian mafia?”

“It's beginning to look like that, isn't it?” I said. “You said Danielle doesn't have a gun, but what about Michael?”

“I really don't know.”

“If he was working for them, it would explain all of his absences from work, not just recently. He wasn't having an affair, he was playing spy! But I still don't understand the grapefruit knife,” I wondered aloud.

“We may never know.” She refilled both of our mugs. “Do you think Danielle will be happier to hear what he was really doing?”

“That her husband's an assassin rather than an adulterer? You know her better than I do.”

“I won't tell if you don't,” Annie said, patting my shoulder with her hand. Her phone began to play the ancient song, “Sisters”. “Hi, Danielle. The coast is clear. Come on home.” Her voice changed slightly as she said, “Thanks, Auggie. For helping Danielle, I mean.”

I looked in her direction, smiling, and said, “That's what friends are for.”


End file.
